The man behind such impactful worship songs such as “Sweetly Broken”, “Furious”, “Breaking Through” and “This is Amazing Grace”, Jeremy Riddle releases “More”, his first full album in seven years and his first solo record with Bethel Music! Focusing on themes of holy momentum, curiosity, and hunger for God, “More” features 12 tracks that uniquely stand out from each other. Check out Sharefaith Magazine’s review of More and learn about Jeremy Riddle’s journey and heart behind this album.
Jeremy Riddle is perhaps one of the greatest worship leaders in our generation, writing some of the most influential songs during the last decade. And his new release does not disappoint. It holds up to all the hype, and listeners young and old will connect through the various styles of music presented.
If you know Riddle’s music, you’ve heard his style change and shift since his debut album of 2007 titled “Full Attention”. The album includes”Sweetly Broken”, a song rocketed to the top of the Billboard charts and Christian radio. The chorus says,
At the cross, You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees
And I am lost for words, so lost in love
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
Ten years and four albums later, we have “More”, an album that will certainly be well received. More will have you dancing along on one track and contemplative on the next. Some of our favorites on the album include “Overwhelming”, “Made In Love”, and “All Hail King Jesus”, which declares:
All hail King Jesus
All hail the Lord of Heaven and earth
All hail King Jesus
All hail the Savior of the world
Check out the lyric video for Jeremy Riddle’s title track More!
At only $10.99, Jeremy Riddle’s “More” is a must. This collection of songs will provide some great tracks for your daily commute to work, your devotion time with God, and some great new tunes to enjoy with the whole family. We can’t speak more highly of this album and absolutely love each song! We can’t wait to how God uses this album, and, we hope, many more to come.
Want to learn more about More?
Read below on what it took to write this album as well as what Jeremy Riddle himself has to say about it.
For Jeremy Riddle, music ministry has taken many forms. He’s been a solo artist, with songs like “Sweetly Broken” drawing people to Christ for the last decade. He has co-written powerful songs like “This Is Amazing Grace,” the most-played song on Christian radio in 2014. And he’s served in worship and written songs in the community of the Bethel Music collective.
Along the way, that element of community came to dominate Riddle’s musical endeavors. He thrived in roles behind the scenes, working to help others’ songs come into being or helping compilation projects take off. In fact, it’s been seven years since Riddle released a solo album. He hadn’t really given the idea much thought, but those around him had. They had seen the rich contributions he was making to the kingdom, but they knew there was more.
At one point, Riddle was talking about the world of worship with a colleague when she put the conversation aside, looked him straight in the eye, and said, “Jeremy, what’s your song?” Riddle recalls the moment: “I had almost forgotten how to sing my own song. There was a part of my heart and a way that I love connecting to God that had been neglected. There’s something about just singing your own song to Jesus. Something lurched inside my heart.”
So began the creative process that produced More, Riddle’s remarkable new release on Bethel Music. The dynamic songs like “Even If,” “Sing to My Heart” and “All Hail King Jesus” emerged from a deeply personal and authentic place in Riddle’s heart, and they speak truths tested by struggle. Even the process of starting the album was met with spiritual warfare. “It’s a battle when it comes to creativity,” Riddle says. “It’s spiritual, and internal. Is this going to be worthwhile, or is this a waste of everyone’s time? The enemy is so opposed to the children of God creating the things we’re meant to create, but no matter what, we were made to run in this. There is power released every time we endeavor to create.”
A record that started as a feeble cry of praise grew stronger as Riddle committed to sing his own song to his Creator. Melodies sprang from his heart. Songs were born. The rust was shaken off with surprising ease, the spiritual battle was overcome bit by bit, and the feeble cry became a shout.
Eventually, those melodies and songs revealed in themselves an overarching vision. “The more I looked at the cry of my heart, what I longed to see in worship, in the church, is us never neglecting that there’s always more to be seen of God, more to be tapped into,” Riddle declares. “It’s like C.S. Lewis writes in The Last Battle, ‘Further up and further in.’ Colors are deeper, richer. That’s our invitation to hunger and thirst and run after more, to never level off. To go after the More of God.”
That title track heralds a fresh, pop-driven sound for the album. Riddle was intentional about granting permission to everyone involved in the project to take risks, to avoid limiting the process by some expectation or convention. Producer Ran Jackson (LeCrae, United Pursuit) and collaborators Ricky Jackson and Nicolas Balachandran facilitated the approach, helping to, as Riddle lovingly puts is, “agitate the journey.” A spirit of creative exploration brought songs that manage to breathe and sound spontaneous but still accessible.
A good example is the resurrection proclamation “All Hail King Jesus.” Riddle watched those four words become a glorious chant during worship at Bethel’s young adult ministry, and he knew there was a song there, even in just that one line. “It became a telling of the gospel, initially seeing it from heaven’s side,” he explains. “From the perspective of those on earth, all they saw at the crucifixion was the bitter defeat, the death, the disappointment. But heaven saw the Son of God finish His assignment. He walked all the way to the cross faithfully, and gave his life. In heaven, there was a roar. Back on Earth, we catch up in the second verse. We get to join the song.”
The powerful anthem is contrasted by “Shadow,” a passionate invitation for the lost to come home. It’s a very personal song for Riddle, evident in his plaintive and emotional vocals. “Some close friends along the way have taken some left turns. It’s so grieving to watch them wander from the faith. I know what it’s like to get lost. At any stage in our lives where we get a little lost, the most powerful thing we encounter is someone who still sees the person we truly are, who can call it out, speak it: I still see who you are, and I love who you are.”
The perspective is flipped on “Sing to My Heart,” which gives voice to the wandering soul. It’s a prayer from a place of emptiness to a God of everlasting abundance, first timid, then bolder, and ultimately alive in a wild cry of confidence. Following the album’s theme, the sonic progression pushes the listener from a place of dark loneliness to a promise when we will see God face to face.
Jeremy Riddle’s return to solo work might have been a long time coming, but it’s all the better for it. More is an album for those who might have been caught in the doldrums, not even realizing they’re settling for a life that’s less than abundant. It’s a heart cry spoken in the authentic language of an artist who has been there. For the listener willing to push forward in faith, this album is an invitation to step into the More.